3DS Version of ‘Dragon Quest 8’ Coming January 2017

The Journey of the Cursed King is heading to Nintendo’s handheld early next year.

Between Fire Emblem Fates, Dragon Quest VII, and the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon, the 3DS has been getting a lot of love from JRPGs, and it looks like that affection will carry into next year.

The 3DS port of Dragon Quest VIII: The Journey of the Cursed King will release in the USA on January 20, 2017.

Dragon Quest VIII originally released for the PS2 in 2005, the first entry in the series not to be called Dragon Warrior in the USA. The game was then ported to Android and iOS in 2014, and was then released for the 3DS in Japan last year.

The 3DS version of the game includes a number of streamlined elements, including the ability to quick save, speed up battles, and the elimination of random enemy encounters. Additionally, this version included two new playable characters, full voice-acting, and a new alternative ending. Unfortunately, it seems like the orchestral soundtrack from the USA PS2 version has been swapped with the Japan synthesized score, probably to make the game fit on the 3DS cartridge.

Dragon Quest VIII is a blissfully old-school JRPG with awesome character designs from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. We can’t wait to revisit this game on a proper portable system, but if Square Enix decided to release an HD version for the PS4, we wouldn’t complain.

Dragon Quest VIII: The Journey of the Cursed King hits the 3DS on January 20, 2017.